Phamous Philosophers
Directions: Read the following paragraphs and answer the Stoplight questions that follow.
What is Philosophy? Philosophy is the study of knowledge, reality, and existence. And what does that mean exactly? That's just it - there is no exact answer in philosophy. Philosophy is the practice of askingreally big questionsthat have no clear answer or that have more than one answer. The word philosophy comes from the Greek words for love (“philos”) and wisdom (“sophia”). Simply, philosophy is the love of wisdom. Philosophers ask questions to open topics of discussion and to get people thinking.
Red Light Question: What is Philosophy? ______
The ancient Greeks thought ofphilosophy as an art, and philosophers as teachersof the art of asking questions. But some things in ancient Greece could not be questioned.It was against the lawto do so. But that did not stop one famous philosopher from asking these questions anyway.
Red Light Question: Why might questioning the law in Ancient Greece be illegal?
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Socrates: The First Philosopher
There were many teachers in ancient Athens. Socrates was one of the most famous. His method was to question. He questioned everything. He wanted his students to question everything. He asked questions like: "Are the stories about the gods real? How can we improve our government?"
A handful of wealthy nobles found his teaching methods unacceptable. They accused him of mocking the gods and challenging the Greek way of life in the city-state of Athens. They wanted him punished. Socrates was about seventy years old at the time. He had been teaching for a long time. He thought the whole thing was ridiculous.
Red Light Question: Why might the nobles have found Socrates methods ridiculous?
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In ancient Athens, anyone could demand a trial. There were rules, but even if you followed the rules, sooner or later, you would end up in court. There, the accused would have a chance to defend themselves. A handful of wealthy nobles filed charges against Socrates. They charged him with mocking the gods. At the trial, Socrates refused to defend himself - defend himself from what? Since he did not defend himself in any way, the jury felt they had no choice but to find him guilty. The punishment for mocking the gods was death.
Socrates drank poison and killed himself. It was a sad day for educators and for free thinking people in ancient Athens.
Red Light Question: Why do you think Socrates chose not to defend himself?
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Plato: Not the colorful clay
After the death of his teacher Socrates, Plato founded the first university, called the Academy. There, students focused on important questions such as "What does it mean to be me?" and "What is human nature?" Plato believed that a philosopher's job is to open people's eyes to the truth and help them strive to be good and fair. Plato believed that men and women had the same intellectual powers, and was one of the first to teach that women should receive the same education as men.
Red Light Question: Plato believed women could be just as intelligent as men. How might this idea change Athens?
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Aristotle: Teacher to the Great
Aristotle was always curious about things, even as a small boy. His parents were great believers in education. When Aristotle was 17, his parents allowed him to move to Athens so that he could study with the famous scholar, Plato.
Aristotle stayed in Athens for 20 years. He continued to study with Plato, but he also wrote, and as time went on, he taught students himself. After Plato died, King Phillip of Macedonia offered Aristotle a job as tutor to the king's young son, Alexander. Aristotle taught Alexander to admire and respect the Greeks.
Aristotle is remembered for his sayings. He used sayings to help his students become wiser. His sayings lend themselves to discussion, argument, and thought. He is still quoted today. For example, Aristotle said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is a habit."
Red Light Question: What might the quote by Aristotle mean?
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